Marco

Marco was never just a little boy!

During his pregnancy, at the 7th month, Marco was diagnosed with a cleft palate. If the worry was already starting...

Marco was born on July 26, 2019 in Bayonne in the South West of France. He was a beautiful blond baby with peaceful blue eyes. 

At birth, however, Marco had some notable differences: brachial clefts, a coccygeal dimple, malformed toenails. 

Very quickly around 4 months Marco was going to accentuate his differences, crying hardly audible, sero-mucous otitis, hypotonia, anxiety when we took him out of his habits, delay of development, stereotyped gestures, no babbling like the other babies of his age, constipations, hyper laxity, ecxema.  The concern grew...

Marco was followed by a neuro pediatrician from the age of 6 months until today. The neuro pediatrician then advised to do the exome (genetic test), and encouraged him to be stimulated by several paramedical interveners (psychometrician, physiotherapist, speech therapist, etc.). In parallel, Marco underwent multiple tests to rule out serious or degenerative diseases. 

Marco did not walk before he was 19 months old, and his balance is still precarious. He even broke his shoulder when he fell from a chair he had climbed on at 20 months old. Moreover, Marco has a poor grasp of danger.

The announcement of the diagnosis was made when he was 23 months old. The announcement was as terrible as it delivered us... We now know how to face and how to help him.

Today Marco is almost two years old. He doesn't speak, but he manages to make himself understood through the sign language that we have been teaching him since he was a child. Marco play with his brother, loves people a lot, he is extremely cuddly, especially with other children.  In addition to cuddling Marco is very greedy and particularly likes cakes. He also likes cars/tractors and has a lot of fun on the trampoline. 

Marco is our little "X-men". He will not be like the others, but we understood thanks to him that the difference is a strength...